Her ability and reputation for accuracy helped to establish confidence in the new technology. But that is not all! In 1961 she also calculated the launch window for NASA’s Mercury mission (did you know there was a mission to Mercury?!).Īccording to Wikipedia: “ (…) Johnson later worked directly with digital computers. She was the one who calculated the trajectory for the space flight of the first American in space: Mr. That meant to her that she had to move her career to the Spacecraft Controls Branch. During a large part of the 1950s, she worked analyzing topics such as gust alleviation for aircraft.įrom the late ’50s till 1986, Johnson worked in a different, more influential field: she was an aerospace technologist. manned missions to outer space.Ī bit more about Katherine Johnson’s career!īefore computers existed as we know them today, people used to work as “computers”, and that was the case of Katherine Johnson. Johnson was a very talented mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics were a fundamental part of the undeniable success of the first and subsequent U.S. Amazing, isn’t?Īlthough the first job she found was as a teacher, in 1953 she joined NASA and got where women had never been before. When she was only 18 years old, she graduated with degrees in both mathematics and French. Besides showing very strong mathematical skills from a very young age, she also graduated from high school at the age of 14. Katherine Johnson was born in 1918, near West Virginia. Now, get ready to learn a bit more about Katherine Johnson, her work, and her magnificent legacy! She might sound familiar because of the new-ish film “ Hidden Figures”, a film that by the way, we really recommend you watch! Remember? Well, on this occasion, the applause goes to another genius: Mrs. We are giving them the stage they deserve, and we feel we must be one of those who genuinely recognize these fundamental figures in history.īefore jumping to the amazing woman we are highlighting in this specific article, we want to remind you this is a series of blog posts in which we tell you a bit more about outstanding women in a world that, traditionally, was though as a “field for men” – and whoever used to think like this, is completely wrong!Ī few weeks ago we spoke about Hedy Lamarr, and before that, we discussed the inspiring life of Maria Montessori. Every time we write about another one of these phenomenal people, we feel proud.
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